Matthew Rathbun's class on Reducing Risk while marketing online.

1. Leading
in a
2.0 World
Matthew Rathbun, Licensed Broker
ABR, ABRM, ASR, AHWD, CSP, CNE, e-PRO, QSC, GREEN, GRI, SRES
Eco-Broker
Director of Professional Development
This work is in the Public Domain. To view a copy of the public domain certification,
visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/ or send a letter to Creative
Commons,

2. What is Social Media?
Social media with other
is people on
people the
talking internet!

4. YouTube Moment
Shift Happens 2008 xt
4

6. THE WHY OF TECHNOLOGY
1% 38%
1%
2%
5%
Internet (38%) 6%
Realtor (33%)
Yard Sign (14%)
Home Builder (6%)
Friend/Relative (5%) 14%
Knew Seller (2%)
Flyer/House Book (1%) 33%
Print Media (.87%)
Source: 2008 NAR Profile of Buyer and Sellers

7. WHAT DID THEY FIND IMPORTANT?
100
75
50
25
0
Agent Info (3%)
Company Info (5%)
Area Information (21%)
IDX/MLS (96%)

8. “Failing to make a decision to
SWANEPOEL REPORTS
change is simply not an option
– the market will make one for
you.”
(2008 Swanepoel Report)
“Generation X and Y are growing up
with a poor perception of the real
estate industry.”
“They believe they can and should fix
it.”
(2008 Swanepoel Report)

9. THE WHAT AND WHY OF REAL
ESTATE 2.0

10. Facebook Demographics
• 170% Growth in 35-45 year olds in past
year
• Average age of a user is 32
• Majority are College Graduates
• Largest increase of users are those over
55 in the past year
• 175 million active users
• Average users have 120 friends
• 18 million update daily
• Over 3 Billion minutes spent on

12. It’s Like an Episode of Seinfield….

13. They are talking about...
13

14. anything.

15. everything.

16. yes, even real estate.

18. Marketing is a Conversation

19. THE WHAT AND WHY OF REAL
ESTATE 2.0
84% of Consumers used an REALTOR®
84% of Consumers used Internet
Frequently Used Resources in
Purchase
Internet 66%
REALTOR® 64%
Found following resources useful
Agent 70%
Internet 78%
(Sources for all: Swanepoel Trends Report and NAR Profile of Buyers and Sellers for 2007)

20. THE WHAT AND WHY OF REAL
ESTATE 2.0
• On-Line Consumer Demographics
– 64% are Married
– 18% are Single Females
– Median age is 37
– Median Income is $76,900
• First Step Taken in Real Estate Transaction
– 87% Started Researching On-Line
– 20% Contacted a Real Estate Agent

21. THE WHAT AND WHY OF REAL
ESTATE 2.0
• Most Useful Information
– 84% Photos (At least 6)
– 82% Detailed Listing Information
– 60% Virtual Tours / Real Estate Shows
– 39% Maps
– 37% Neighborhood Information
– 26% Agent Information
• Average time for REALTOR to respond to
consumer inquiry = 52 Hours
• Average number of pictures per listing = 2

22. THE WHAT AND WHY OF REAL
ESTATE 2.0
• “87% of Brokers feel that servicing
smarter and more informed consumers
as their largest concern.”
• Swanepoel

23. YouTube Moment
Social Media
in
Plain English
23

24. Social Media in Plain English
24

25. HERE’S HOW THEY TALK…
• Instant messenger • Blogs
• Event sharing • E-mail
• Social bookmarking • Video sharing
• Podcasts • Microblogging
• Photo sharing • Widgets
• Message boards • Wikis
• RSS • Crowdsourced news
• Social networks • …and much more!

26. THE LANGUAGE OF 2.0
• Blogs •“Friends”
• Social Media •IM or Instant Messenger
• Wiki •Links
• Widget •Lurkers
• Aggregation •Mashups
• Avatars •Permalinks
• Posts •Trackbacks
• Comments
•Podcasts
• Subscribing
•RSS
• Tags

27. VIRGINIA - DEFINING
TECHNOLOGY
Virginia Code 18VAC135-20-190
“Advertising” means all forms of representation, promotion and solicitation
disseminated in any manner and by any means of communication to
consumers for any purpose related to licensed real estate activity.
Disclosures Required:
1. Firm’s name, city and state
of main office
2. Licensee’s Name
3. License Status
4. Jurisdiction(s) Licensed

28. VIRGINIA - DEFINING
TECHNOLOGY
Virginia Code 18VAC135-20-190
All Advertising must be under the direct supervision of the principal broker
or supervising broker, in the name of the firm and, when applicable,
comply with the disclosure required by 54.1-238.1 of the Code of Virginia.
The firm’s licensed name must be clearly and legibly displayed on all
advertising.
Online Advertising (Section C of the Code)
1. All Online Adverting applies to this Code
2. E-mail message are included in regs
3. Instant Message are included
4. Chat and Internet based Dialogue
5. The “web”
6. Voice Over Net
7. Banner Ads

29. VIRGINIA - DEFINING
TECHNOLOGY
Virginia Code 18VAC135-20-190
All On-line Listings must be kept current and consistent as follows:
Ads must be consistent with Property Descriptions and ACTUAL Status
Reasonable effort must be made in a written, timely manner for third parties to
update listing information.
All listing information shall indicate in a readily visible manner the date that the
listing information shown was last updated.

30. VIRGINIA - DEFINING
TECHNOLOGY
Virginia Code 18VAC135-20-190
✴Section D – Prohibited Activities
✴ Implying that the property listed is for sale by the owner or unlicensed person
✴ Failing to include a notice in all advertising that the owner is a real estate licensee has
interest in a particular property ( as in financial or owner interest )
✴ Fail to include firm’s licensed name on any sign displayed outside any place of
business
✴ Failure to get written consent of the seller prior to advertising any specific
identifiable property
✴ Property not listed by the party making the advertisement

31. THE SOCIAL MEDIA OPERATING SYSTEM

32. CODE OF ETHICS
➡ Standard of Practice 1-2: Applies Code articles to the
internet
➡ Standard of Practice 1-9: Confidentiality
➡ Article 10: Fair Housing
➡ Article 12: Honesty in Marketing (Similar to VAC)
➡ Article 13: Prohibition from giving Legal Advice
➡ Article 15: Reckless Statements about other
REALTORS®

33. GENERAL LEGAL
CONSIDERATIONS: BLOGS
‣ Defamation
‣ Unlicensed Practice of Law
‣ Breach of Confidentiality of Clients
‣ Copyright Violations
‣ Unfactual Statements
‣ Trademark Considerations
‣ Necessity for Required Disclosures

34. WWW.GOOGLE.COM/ALERTS

35. FACEBOOK GROUPS

36. YouTube Moment
RSS in Plain English
36

37. 37

38. 38

39. 39

40. MUST READ SITES
• www.FAARForum.com
• www.VARBuzz.com
• http://narblog1.realtor.org
• Your Local Newspaper
• You Local Association's Blog
• www.AgentGenius.com

41. Further steps you can take to reduce your liability:
Post only material you own, you have permission
to use, or that is with the scope of fair use
(generally includes review, news reporting,
teaching, or scholarly research);
Remove infringing content immediately;
Have a well-crafted Terms of Use
Instruct agents and those posting to use caution
when posting;
Realize that blogs can be viewed as an
advertisement and follow all applicable rules; and
Don’t select and edit messages – it could subject
you to greater liability because you are taking a
more active role in the publishing the contents.

42. Add Agents to Personal RSS Feeder
Have written policy
Outline what they are permitted to write
about
Outline what types of sources they can use
for clients
Outline number of Blogs they can have that
are RE related
Require training to post
Have requirement for Licensee to advise you

43. POPULAR HIGH RISK
PRACTICES
False Statements about Competitors
and /or their practices
Article
Anti-Trust Violations
Picture Manipulation or
“Enhancements”
Article 2
Non-Violation Practices
Posting Listings
Being “mean”

44. CREATE POLICIES
‣ Appoint a Tech Savvy Broker, as the New
Media Manager.
‣ Have written policies to govern who can
write blogs etc… Then what they are
permitted to write:
‣ Only factual information
‣ Must have disclosures
‣ Must report any complaints made on their
posts
‣ The may not edit comments except for….

45. Be Safe Out
There!
Part II
45

46. Electronic Signatures
UETA = Uniform Electronic Signature Act (1999)

47. 47

48. 48

49. HiJacked Listings!
49

50. Agent Identity Watch
Centralized Showing and Lockbox
Agent Impersonations Online
Access of Client Databases
Shared Lockbox Access
Shared MLS Entry
Computer Threats
(By and Against Agents)
50

51. Now... To Build
a Community
Part III
51

52. 52

53. 53

54. If you can‘t be found online...
You don’t exist
54

55. Google.com/addurl 55

56. 56

57. 57

58. 58

59. I say Innovation -
Does my broker?
59

60. 60

61. 61

62. Blogging: Recruitment and Retentions
Multi-Author Approach
Writing for Agents and Consumers
Forum based tool for agents
RSS is your Friend
Wordpress.org versus Wordpress.com
Pace
Budgets
62

63. 5 Must-Use Tools for Brokers
63

64. 64

65. 65

66. 66

67. www.FAARForum.com
www.TheAgentTrainer.com
Matthew Rathbun, Director of Professional Development
ABR, ABRM, ASR, CSP, E-PRO, ECO-BROKER, GRI, GREEN, QSC, RECS, SRS, SRES
www.MatthewRathbun.com